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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · coach · chest · mug · march · mine · mark · craft

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — a company
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mug — a face
  15. chest — a box
  16. craft — boats
  17. firm — steady
  18. march — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. mark — a grade
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com